Nemesia plant named ‘Inupcream’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nemesia  plant named ‘Inupcream’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; early flowering habit; numerous large light yellow and white-colored flowers; and long flowering period.

Botanical designation: Nemesia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Inupcream’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesiaplant, botanically known as Nemesia hybrid and referred to by the name‘Inupcream’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the program is tocreate new strong Nemesia cultivars with numerous flowers and uniqueflower colors.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors of an unnamed Nemesia fructicans selection, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with an unnamed Nemesia strumosa selection,not patented during the summer of 2001. The cultivar Inupcream wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Gensingen, Germany during the summer of 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Gensingen, Germany since June, 2002, has shownthat the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and arereproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be basic characteristics of ‘Inupcream’ and distinguish‘Inupcream’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.    -   3. Early flowering habit.    -   4. Numerous large light yellow and white-colored flowers.    -   5. Long flowering period.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia have larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia and the female parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection        have white to soft pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia are more vigorous than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia flower for a longer period of time        than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivarInuppink, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.11/174,963. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany,plants of the new Nemesia differed primarily from plants of the cultivarInuppink in flower color as plants of the cultivar Inuppink had redpurple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Nemesia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Inupcream’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers of ‘Inupcream’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoornursery during the summer with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 7° C. to 18° C. Afterrooting, plants were grown for ten weeks in 15-cm containers with oneplant per container. Color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nemesia hybrid cultivar Inupcream.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed Nemesia fructicans selection, not            patented.        -   Male parent.—Unnamed Nemesia strumosa selection, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 20° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About two to three weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright; columnar. Freely branching,            typically about twelve primary lateral branches; numerous            secondary and tertiary lateral branches. Moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 27 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Appearance: Square in cross-section with            longitudinal ridges. Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About            3 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146C.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Shape:            Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Length: About            3.2 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:            Pinnate, arcuate. Petiole length: About 4 mm. Petiole            diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and            lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole, upper and lower surfaces:            144A.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers            arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards            apex. Flowers bilabiate with nectar spur. Flowers face            upright and outward. Flowers last about five days on the            plant. Flowers not persistent.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; natural            flowering season is spring to fall; flowering continuous            during this period.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with about 26 flowers            and flower buds per inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 12 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 1.6 cm by 1.5 cm.        -   Flower depth, including nectar spur.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Shape: Ovoid with spur. Length including spur:            About 9 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: 182C.        -   Petals.—Arrangement/shape: Five petals in a single whorl.            Four upper petals are fused at base to form an upright lobed            and arched banner lip; lower petal modified into a larger            lip with nectar spur and central protuberance which serves            as pollinator nectar guide and landing platform. Apex:            Rounded. Margin: Entire. Length: Upper lip petals: About            5 mm. Lower lip petal: About 6 mm. Width: Upper lip petals:            About 4 mm. Lower lip petal: About 1.5 cm. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening,            upper surface: 155A. When opening, lower surface: 70D. Fully            opened, upper surface: 8D; towards the margins, 155D;            stripes at base, 71A. Fully opened, lower surface: 8D;            stripes, 71A. Nectar guide: 14A to 14B. Nectar spur: 155A            tinted with 70D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity: Five-parted, star-shaped calyx. Shape:            Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Length:            About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.        -   Peduncle.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: Upright. Color: 146A.        -   Pedicel.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 45° from the stem.            Color: 146B.        -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Four per flower. Anther shape:            Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 11A.            Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 11A.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length:            About 2 mm. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: 145C.            Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 145C. Ovary color:            145A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed            on plants of the new Nemesia.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nemesia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed    to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2° C. to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named ‘Inupcream’, as illustrated and described. 